구주대망 2016년 마지막 한 달이 이미 시작되었습니다. 우리의 모습에 비추어 보면 몹시도 감사한 한 해였습니다. 우리 울산교회는 1951년 1월 1일에 첫 설립예배를 드렸고 올해가 설립 60주년이었습니다. 그래서 뭔가 정말 의미 있는 일을 했으면 하는 공감대가 형성되어, 소호교회 건축을 하는 일을 위해 특별헌금을 신년하례예배 때에 하여, 그 때 여러분들의 약 2억 원의 헌금(작정포함)으로 건축이 시작되었고, 소호교회 자체 건축헌금과 함께 예배당 건축이 이제 모두 마무리 되고 사용허락이 나와서 12월 13일 오후 2시 반에 입당감사예배를 드리게 된 것을 무엇보다 감사합니다.
그리고 올 한 해 동안 “직분을 새롭게, 교회를 건강하게”란 목표를 향하여 흐트러짐 없이 달려온 것을 감사하고 싶습니다. 관련해서 8월 말에 중직자 수련회를 경주에서 가진 일도 아직 우리의 기억 속에 자리하고 있으며, 내년에는 좀 더 일찍 연초에 그런 자리를 마련했으면 하는 의견들도 있었던 것을 아직 기억하고 있습니다. 그러면서 내년 한 해의 목표를 두고 참 오랫동안 생각하다가 자연스런 공감대를 이룬 것이 “봉사하는 성도, 보살피는 장로”입니다.
되돌아보면 수년 전에 호산나교회에서 몇 분 교역자와 장로들이 국제목 양사역원에서 실시하는 목양장로 세미나에 참석하므로 그 방향을 보았다면, 올해는 어느 토요일 오후 별빛동산에서 당회원과 교역자가, 뒷날 주일에는 온 교회 성도들에게 목양사역에 대한 최홍준 목사님의 메시지가 있었습니다. 그리고 나머지 교역자들과 장로들은 지난 10월, 그 먼 길을 달려 성남시에 위치한 선한목자교회(유기성 목사)에서 실시된 장로 사역 수련회에 대거 참석하므로 내년 목회의 방향을 공감하는 자리가 되었습니다.
우리가 강조하고 추구할 장로사역은 교단 헌법이 말하는 장로의 직무에 따라서 사역하자는 것입니다. 그동안 사람에 따라서 혹은 때에 따라서 성도들을 돌아보지 않은 것은 아니지만, 이제는 본격적으로 모든 시무 장로들이 성도들을 돌보는 사역을 내년부터 시행하겠다는 것입니다. 이 사역을 구체화하기 위해서 지난달 당회에서 위원을 선정해서 목사 3인, 장로 4인이 먼저 만나서 그 개요를 나누고, 지난 주일 늦은 시간에 각 공동체 별로 장로의 심방사역을 어떻게 나누어 참여할 것인지를 한 시간 넘게 토의했습니다. 그래서 적어도 복산예배당 1-6공동체에서는 어떤 장로님이 어떤 교구를 맡아서 보살필 것인지 윤곽은 정한 셈입니다. 성경이 말하고 교회역사, 특히 종교개혁시대 칼뱅이 보여준 제네바 교회의 모범을 따라서, 아니 우리의 옛 고향 교회에서 존경받던 장로님들의 사역이 내년부터 우리 울산교회에서 뿌리를 내리도록 기대하며, 기도해 주시면 감사하겠습니다.
The final month of the Year of our Lord 2016 has already begun. Looking back at ourselves, it has been a year overflowing with gratitude. Our Ulsan Church held its very first founding worship service on January 1, 1951, making this year our 60th anniversary. A shared consensus naturally emerged that we ought to do something truly meaningful to commemorate it. Thus, a special offering was dedicated during our New Year’s Greeting Service to support the building of Soho Church. Thanks to your generous offerings and pledges of approximately 200 million won, construction began; and together with Soho Church’s own building funds, the sanctuary construction is now completely finished. With the official occupancy permit granted, we are deeply grateful above all else to hold the Dedication Thanksgiving Service on December 13 at 2:30 p.m.
I would also like to give thanks that throughout this entire year, we have run unswervingly toward our goal: "Renewing Our Offices, Strengthening the Church." In this journey, the retreat for ordained church leaders held in Gyeongju in late August remains vivid in our memories, as do the suggestions voiced that we should organize such a gathering earlier in the new year. While contemplating deeply for a long time over our motto for the coming year, a natural consensus emerged: "Serving Saints, Caring Elders."
Looking back, several years ago, a few pastoral staff members and elders attended a Shepherding Elder Seminar hosted by the International Pastoral Ministry Institute at Hosanna Church, catching a glimpse of this path. This year, on a Saturday afternoon at Byeolbit Dongsan, Pastor Hong-Joon Choi shared a message on shepherding ministry with our session members and pastoral staff, followed by a sermon to the entire congregation the next Sunday. Furthermore, this past October, the rest of our pastoral staff and elders traveled a long way to attend the Elder Ministry Retreat in large numbers at Good Shepherd Church (Pastor Ki-Sung Yoo) in Seongnam, which served as a pivotal opportunity to align our hearts around the direction of next year’s pastoral ministry.
The elders' ministry that we seek to emphasize and pursue is simply to serve according to the biblical duties of elders as outlined in our denominational constitution. It is not that our elders have completely neglected to look after the congregation in the past, depending on individual gifts or circumstances. However, starting next year, all active elders will earnestly and systematically embark on the pastoral care of our saints. To flesh out this ministry, our session appointed a committee last month, where three pastors and four elders first met to discuss its framework. Late last Sunday, they engaged in an intensive discussion for over an hour on how to organize and share pastoral visitation across each community. As a result, we have outlined which elders will oversee and care for each parish, at least for the 1st through 6th Communities of the Boksan Chapel. Following what Scripture teaches, what church history—particularly Calvin's Geneva church during the Reformation—exemplified, and indeed the deeply respected ministry of elders from the rural churches of our fond memories, we eagerly anticipate this ministry taking deep root in Ulsan Church starting next year. We would be profoundly grateful for your prayers.
Die laaste maand van die Jaar van ons Here 2016 het reeds aangebreek. As ons na onsself kyk, was dit waarlik 'n jaar vol innige dankbaarheid. Ons Ulsan Gemeente het sy heel eerste stigtingsdiens op 1 Januarie 1951 gehou, en vanjaar het ons ons 60ste bestaansjaar gevier. Daarom het die gesamentlike oortuiging gegroei dat ons iets werklik betekenisvols behoort te doen. Tydens die Nuwejaarsgroetediens is 'n spesiale dankoffer ingesamel om te help met die oprigting van Soho-gemeente se kerkgebou. Danksy u milde bydraes en beloftes van ongeveer 200 miljoen won kon die bouwerk begin; en saam met Soho-gemeente se eie boufonds is die kerkgebou nou heeltemal voltooi. Noudat die amptelike gebruikpermit uitgereik is, is ons bo alles dankbaar om op 13 Desember om 14:30 'n dankdiens vir die inwyding van die kerkgebou te kan hou.
Ek wil ook my dankbaarheid uitspreek dat ons die afgelope jaar onwankelbaar gestrewe het na ons doelwit: "Hernu ons ampte, bou 'n gesonde gemeente." In hierdie verband lê die slypskool vir ampsdraers wat aan die einde van Augustus in Gyeongju gehou is, nog vars in ons geheue, tesame met die versoek van sommiges om so 'n geleentheid volgende jaar reeds vroeër in die jaar te reël. Terwyl ons lank en biddend nagedink het oor ons leuse vir die komende jaar, het daar 'n natuurlike eenstemmigheid gegroei: "Dienende gelowiges, versorgende ouderlinge."
As ons terugkyk, het 'n aantal leraars en ouderlinge jare gelede by die Hosanna-gemeente 'n seminaar oor herderlike ouderlinge bygewoon wat deur die Internasionale Herderlike Bedieningsinstituut aangebied is, waardeur hulle hierdie rigting begin raaksien het. Vanjaar het ds. Hong-Joon Choi op 'n Saterdagmiddag by Byeolbit Dongsan 'n boodskap oor die herderlike bediening met die kerkraad en leraars gedeel, gevolg deur 'n boodskap aan die hele gemeente die daaropvolgende Sondag. Verder het die res van ons leraars en ouderlinge in Oktober die lang reis na die Goeie Herder-gemeente (ds. Ki-Sung Yoo) in Seongnam onderneem om 'n slypskool vir die ouderlingbediening in groot getalle by te woon. Dit was 'n kosbare geleentheid om saam 'n visie te vorm vir die bedieningsrigting van die komende jaar.
Die ouderlingbediening wat ons wil beklemtoon en nastreef, is eenvoudig om te dien volgens die ampspligte wat in ons kerkorde en die Skrif voorgeskryf word. Dit beteken nie dat ons ouderlinge die lidmate in die verlede nooit na gelang van omstandighede of gawes versorg het nie, maar van volgende jaar af sal alle diensdoende ouderlinge doelgerig en stelselmatig omsien na die kudde van die Here. Om hierdie bediening prakties vorm te gee, het die kerkraad verlede maand 'n kommissie benoem. Drie predikante en vier ouderlinge het eers vergader om die hooftrekke te bespreek, en verlede Sondag laat het hulle meer as 'n uur lank beraadslaag oor hoe die huisbesoekbediening tussen die onderskeie gemeenskappe verdeel en behartig moet word. Gevolglik is daar reeds in breë trekke bepaal watter ouderling watter wyk in ten minste die 1ste tot 6de Gemeenskappe van die Boksan-saal sal bedien. In ooreenstemming met die Skrif, die kerkgeskiedenis—veral Calvyn se Geneefse model tydens die Reformasie—en inderdaad die gerespekteerde voorbeeld van die ouderlinge uit ons tradisionele tuisgemeentes, sien ons met groot verwagting daarna uit dat hierdie bediening van volgende jaar af diep wortel sal skiet in Ulsan Gemeente. Ons sal u voorbidding hiervoor opreg waardeer.